Magazines Aren’t Just for Gossip & Fashion

I swore I’d post more often, but I’ve been eating out WAY too much to even think about the kitchen, so that hasn’t exactly happened.  My waistline…and ill-fitting pants…can prove it.  I love that I pin about 50 recipes a day and then decide to eat out when it finally comes down to it.  Story of our busy lives with kids!!!  I digress. 

Here’s a little recipe I found over the Christmas holidays.  I was browsing through a Rachel Ray magazine of my mother-in-law’s and this one screamed “TRY ME!!!”  I typed the recipe into my phone and forgot all about it.  As I was browsing through my little digital notepad the other day, I found it and immediately put it on the dinner menu.  I’m bummed I didn’t try this sooner because my taste buds have SERIOUSLY been missin’ out.  Thank you Rachel Ray and your heavenly little magazine!!!  Now Mr. Spouse can’t get mad at me when I tell him I’m reading a magazine…they aren’t just for gossip & fashion!!!  You gotta try it and see what I mean!!!

SHRIMP & ANDOUILLE PUFFALETTAS

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 roasted red bell pepper {straight from the jar}, coarsely diced

3 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt

3 tbsp. mayo

4 scallions, white & green parts, thinly sliced

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil {or EVOO, as Rachel would say}

1 fully cooked andouille sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup marinara sauce {I used Newman’s Own}

1 8oz. bottle clam sauce

1 31-40 count bag medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

 

Here’s what you’ll need to get started {the puff pastries were being camera shy}…

Okay, so if you’re anything like me, you probably see the clam juice and want to run the other way.  I know it looks wretched.  And sounds even worse.  BUT…I’m a seafood lovin’ girl and I’ll try anything once.  DO NOT let this little ingredient scare you away.  It shouldn’t.  It only enhances the flavor of the amazingness that follows…

First up, let’s go ahead and preheat your oven to 400.  Make sure you thaw out your puff pastry sheet, too.  Remove ONE of the roasted red peppers from the jar and throw it in your food processor.  Add the greek yogurt, may, and half the scallions, too.  Pulse the ingredients until blended and transfer the sauce to a small bowl and set aside.

   

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and unfold the puff pastry shell out onto a slightly floured surface.  Roll it out with a rolling pin to smooth out the folds.  I skipped that part.  I couldn’t find my rolling pin because I’m pretty sure my boys were using it as a weapon of mass destruction at the time. Instead, I just used my hands to press it all out and then I cut the sheet into 2x4ish inch rectangles.  Place on the baking sheet and bake until puffy & golden brown, about 15-17 minutes.

Now, let’s move on to the meat.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the sausage.  Cook on medium heat for about 5ish minutes. 

Add green pepper and scallions to the sausage & olive oil.  Cook for about 3ish minutes, stirring as you go.

Pour in the bottle of clam juice, shrimp, and the marinara.  Stir until all ingredients are well combined and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the green pepper is crisp and tender and the shrimp are cooked.  I guess I forgot to take a picture of this after I added the shrimp, so don’t forget that step!

When the pastry shells are cooled off, split each rectangle in half {like a sandwich…not right down the middle.}  You should have a top and bottom for each rectangle.  Place a generous amount of the andouille/shrimp mix into the bottom of the halved pastry shell.  Don’t be shy.  Now take that yummo roasted red pepper/mayo/yogurt sauce you set aside earlier and pour some of that on top.  OH.MY.WORD.

Now top that with the other half of the pastry shell and lookie there…a little shrimp & andouille puffaletta!

I can’t even begin to explain how great these are.  For real.  I know we all don’t have the same taste palettes, but seriously….you’ve gotta try this at least once.  Especially if you’re a fan of the seafood/sausage persuasion.  The combo of the sausage/shrimp mix and the pastry shells are seriously OUT OF THIS WORLD.  If you’re wondering why I used caps, it’s because I’m screaming as I type.  Yes…it’s THAT good.  Mr. Spouse was trying to make this dish last as long as it possibly could, so he stopped making little “sandwiches” and topped both halves with the sausage/shrimp mix….eating them open-faced is just as delicious and pretty dang genius.  After taking a few bites of these little puffalettas, I said, “OHmiword.  Seriously.   My favorite new recipe!!!!!”  I could not get over the flavors!  Mr. Spouse agreed 100%.  He rated this 5 out of 5 stars.  So did I :)